Tracked vehicle or craft construction



Feb.l 10, 1948. T. A. wERKENTH-IN 2,435,517

TRACKEDVEHICLE OR CRAFT CONSTRUCTION t MLWLW Feb;v 10, 1948. T. A. WERKENTHIN 2,435,617'

TRACKED VEHICLE OR CRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 17, 1945 y2 sheets-sheet 2 fltbmm Patented Feb. 10, r1948 TRACKED vEnICLEioRonAFr", y i' CONSTRUCTION i .Theodore A. W-erkenthin,`- Arlington, Va... Application December 1r, 1945, serialize. `635,456 l connes. n(o1. 305-1) V (Granted under the act of March. 3, :11883,@' amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 75?) This invention relates` toY improvements in bugie Wheels or the like particularly for use in vehicles` or craft embodying endless propelling tracks which pass over and engage such bugie wheels.

More particularly theY invention relates to a flexible sheathing of metal or the like embodied ina rubber or like surface of the bugie Wheel for Contact with the endless track of the tracked vehicle or craft.

An object of the `invention is the provision of a flexible sheathing or covering of metal or other wear resistant material so mounted in the rubber or like surface of the bugie wheel or the like as to provide impactv and tear resistance to the rubber wheel materially increasing the life thereof, While retaining the shock absorbing characteristics of the rubber or synthetic rubber of the wheel. I Another object of the invention is to provide such a sheathing or covering for the Wheel of rubber or the like which Will permit a portion of the sheathing or covering engaged by the track to deiiect under impact of the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bugie v vheely ofv rubber or the like embodying a linked o r articulated sheathing or covering of metal or other hard material in the form of sections or links held together by pins, the said pins having a slight lateral freedom of movement and a considerable vertical freedom of movement whereby thepurtion of rubber beneath the links or segments of the sheathing may be freely compressed as pressure is applied to the wheel through contact with the endless propellin track.

Other objects will be made apparent in th accompanying description having reference to the accompanying drawings which are` exem-i' plary and inl which: Fig. 1 is an expanded plan view of a portion of the surface of a bugie Wheel according to one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the bugie wheel substantially on the line 2 -2 shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the linked flexible sheathing;

Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the rubber covered rim of the bugie Wheel;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the bugie Wheels mounted on the vehicle or craft and in connection with the endless propelling track thereof. A p I Referring to the drawings, in the operation of endless track propelled vehicles or craft a fragmentary portion of oneof Winch is indicated in Fig. 6 at numeral l, solidrubber tired bugie wheels 2 are usually employed with the endless propeliing trackI 3. At points such as those marked A and vB in Fig. Y 6, where the track changes direction ,lthe bugie wheels are subjected to a pinching action by links of the endless track. '.'Chis action has a deleterious effect on the rubber tired bugie Wheelsin these indicated locations and results in their failure at a much faster rate than the otherv bugie Wheels. i l The present invention provides a construction of rubber covered bogie wheels including a flexible articulated or linked sheathing or covering of metal or the like for the rubber or like surface of the bugie wheels which serves to protect the rubber or like surface of the bugie wheel from the pinching action` of the track and prevents undue Wear on the track and on the bugie wheel and yet allows the rubber or the like of the bugie Wheel to serve as a shock absorber under the flexible articulated sheathing.-

It has previously been proposed to provide va s olid or continuous strip or rim of metal or the like around the circumference of the rubber surfaced bugie wheel. Such a construction is subject to distortion and flattening under impact or pinching action of the track. The present invention' by the provision of linked sections or segments of metal or the like around the circumference provides full protection with yieldability and' fiexibility and tendency to recover toy normal condition following the application of pressure by contact with the track in use.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, a sheathing or covering of metal or the like may desirably comprise an articulate series of link members or sections 4 which have depending portions 5 and 6 thereof received in openings or recesses 9 in the rubber tire or surfaces 1 of the bugie Wheel. The depending portions 5 and 6 of the links or sections 4 are in the form of loops formed by bending the metal of the link substantially back upon itself in the form of a knuckle-joint and may desirably be Welded as indicated at 8. The rubber or synthetic rubber surface of the bugie Wheel is provided with the transverse recesses or grooves 9 spaced about the periphery thereof and which receive the depending loops 5 and 6 of the links or sections of the flexible sheathing.

Each link or section may desirably be formed so as to cooperate with the adjoining link or y of loops 5 at the opposite side thereof space ,olY apart to receive the single loop 6 of the adiacenti' link.

Desirably the openings of the 'loops .5. and .61 are of such size in relation to the pins il] as. to. provide for slight lateral play' .or iirov'emeritv ofv in said recesses and connected by transverse pins extending through the loops, said articulated links or sections providing a flexible sheathing or covering for the rubber surface of the wheel, each of said links 0r sections having a centrally located loopat one side thereof and sipacedvapart depending loops at'the opposite side thereof to receive the central loop of the adjacent link.

2. In a bogie wheel construction for vehicles or craft. propelled by an endless track, said bogie .wheelhaving a rubber or like surface provided 'with transverse grooves spaced about its periphery, and sectional link members of metal or the like having depending looped portions received the pins in the openings of the loops. The loops are preferably elongated radially o f the wheel as indicated in the drawings which .proyides'for freedom of movement in the flexing of the' sheathing under contact with the track by permitting relative movement between the links and the pins enabling the links to be pressed against and to compress the rubber.

Each link is preferably provided with a de-v pending rib l l which vis received in a circumferential groove I2 formed in the rubber tire of the bogie wheel. This construction of the bogie wheel and linked sheathing prevents excessive lateral movement of ythe flexible sheathing in relation to the bogie wheel, and assists in retaining the sheathing in proper position thereon.

In the modified form of the invention shown in'Fig. 4 segmental sheathing members of metal vor the like I3 are provided. These are embedded or received in recesses in the rubber surface y|11 of the bogie wheel. In this form of construction the sheathin'g members -fl 3 are-'not'interconnected and'portions'l 5 ofthe rubber surface of ethe/'bogie wheel are disposed between the sheathing members I3. The underlying 4rubbervk/fill permit lthe section 'to'deect under'lrnp'act -of the track. In this form ofthe invention, the metal sections i3 are preferably molded into Vthe rubber and vmay desirably have overturned ends i3d anchoring them in the rubber. y

It Will be understood-thatvarious modifications may be -maderwithout departing "from the spirit 'and scope of the inventionwhich is only'to be limited by the terms :of the appended claims.

The invention may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the lUnited States of America for governmental kpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereonvor therefor.

What is lclaimed is:

`1. In a bogie wheel construction for vehicles or craft propelled by ran endlessftrack, said bogie wheel having a `rubberor like 'surface provided with transverse grooves -spaced about its'periphery, and sectionallink members of 'metal or Vthe like *having depending'looped portions received in said recesses and connected by transverse pins extending through the loops, said articulated links or sections providing a flexible sheathing or covering for the rubber or like surface of the I vwheel, each of said links or sections having a centrally located loop at one side'thereof and spaced apart depending loops at the opposite side thereof to 'receive the central loop of the adjacent link, said links each being provided with a depending rib disposed in a direction transverse to the direcf tion of the pin and loop, and said rubber surfaced Wheel having a circumferential groove therein receiving the ribs ofthe links to prevent excessive lateral movement of the flexible sheathing and t0 assist in retaining it in position on A the wheel.

3. In a bogie wheel construction for vehicles or craft propelled by an endless track, said bogie Wheel having a rubber` or like surface provided with transverse grooves spaced about its periph'- ery, and sectional 4link members of metal Vor the Alike having depending looped portions received in said recesses and connected by transverse-'pins extending through the loops, Asaidy yarticulated links providing a flexible sheathingor covering for the rubber or like surface of the Wheel, leach o'f saidlinks having a, centrally located'flop at o'ne side thereof and spaced apart depending loops at vthe opposite side thereof to receive the central -loopof the adjacent lllink, and saiddepending loops of the links l orv sectionsbeingelongated downwardly or 4radiallyl of the wheel'v-and lproviding openings substantiallyllonger than the diameter of the .pins and slightly-widerv than-the diameter ofthe pins :toprovidereedomof action in 'the flexible metal sheathingorE coveringunde'r contact with the endless.propellingltrack.

THEODORE A. iWERKEfNTHIN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS `AName '1 Date Bretscher June17, 1j919 Number 

